11 arrested in alleged Main Line drug ring

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and Lower Merion police announce the arrest of 11 individuals Monday. They face charges in a Main Line drug ring. Photo by Richard Ilgenfritz/21st Century Media News Service.

Prosecutors say two former Main Line students at the Haverford School set up an elaborate drug ring in an attempt to take over the Main Line drug trade at several area schools and colleges. The schools included some of the most privileged public and private schools in the region.

Authorities announced Monday the arrests of Neil K. Scott, 25, of Barrett Avenue in Haverford and Timothy Brooks, 18, of Cedar Lane in Villanova were identified as the main suppliers.

Daniel McGrath, 18, of Glenolden; John Rosemann, 20, of Weston, Conn.; Christian Euler, 23, of Villanova; Garrett Johnson, 18, of New York; Reid Cohen, 18, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey; Willow Lynn Ore, 22, of Philadelphia; Domenic Curcio, 29 of Philadelphia and the two juveniles have been identified as the sub-dealers.

The ring was dubbed the “Main Line Take Over Project,” because, authorities say, the group was trying to take over the drug trade at several area schools.

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Schools including Lower Merion High School, The Haverford School, Harriton High School, Conestoga High School, Radnor Township High School, Gettysburg College, Lafayette College and Haverford College have all been identified as the target schools.

So far eight adults have been taken into custody while another adult is being sought for arrest. Two juveniles, one a student at Lower Merion and the other a student at Radnor, have also been charged.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman announced the arrests on Monday, saying Scott and Brooks, both graduates of the prestigious Haverford School, worked together to “create a [drug] monopoly to high school students in the area.” Both men played lacrosse at the swanky Montgomery County private school and coached youth sports leagues, according to Ferman. The D.A. said Brooks and Scott exploited those relationships to help grow the criminal enterprise.

A 100-page criminal complaint portrayed the two men as running their alleged drug enterprise like a business, with Scott alegedly coaching Brooks, who would then instruct the “sub-dealers” at the high schools.

“The high school sub-dealers were encouraged to develop their business so that they could sell at least one pound of marijuana each week,” Ferman said. “Brooks instructed the dealers to make sure that there was never a drought.”

Among the material found in a search of the two men’s apartments were eight pounds of marijuana, three grams of hash oil, 23 grams of cocaine, 11 grams of Ecstasy, $11,000 in cash, a loaded handgun, an AR-15 assault rifle and another AR-15 style rile.

John Nagl, headmaster for The Haverford School, said school officials were notified about an on-going investigation several weeks ago, but were asked not to interfere.

“We focus on developing boys with good character, despite our best efforts, sometimes boys make bad choices,” he said. “This was destructive and horrible. And we are deeply saddened.”